Peel Region enforces tighter restrictions asking residents to stick to household

Nov 9 2020, 9:01 pm

Peel Region is enforcing tighter restrictions than the province’s current Red – Control level, to try to curb the spread of COVID-19.

On Monday, Dr. Lawrence Loh, Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Peel, issued directives to the community that are stricter than those required for the Red – Control stage, which the province moved the region into on November 7.

The new measures will be in effect at 12:01 am on November 9. They will remain in effect until further notice, except where noted, and will be re-evaluated every 14 days.

As per Peel Region, the new directives are as follows:

  • Social gatherings celebrating holidays and life events in business establishments are not allowed, starting at 12:01 am on November 13.
  • Wedding receptions and associated gatherings are not allowed, starting at 12:01 am November 13 until at least January 7, 2021.
  • Religious services, rites or ceremonies should be virtual. When not possible, in-person religious events, including weddings and funerals, must:
    • Reduce indoor capacity to 30% capacity to a maximum of 50 people per facility.
    • Seat households and essential supports together, at least two metres from other groups.
  • Bars, restaurants and other food establishments must restrict seating to people from the same household, or their essential supports. No mixed seating is permitted.
  • Workplaces must prohibit all non-essential visitors and make work-from-home options available as much as possible.
  • Gyms and fitness centres must make sure all fitness class participants pre-register and provide accurate contact information to help with contact tracing. No walk-in participation is allowed.
  • Meeting and event spaces, including banquet halls, must close.
  • Residents of Peel must restrict their contact to members of their household and essential supports only. Those that live alone may join one designated household.
  • Residents of Peel should not visit any other household or allow visitors to their homes or yards, except for emergency reasons, including medical and repairs, renovations or construction, deliveries and one-on-one tutoring.
  • All additional measures have been put in place under the authority of Ontario Regulation 263/20, Rules for Areas in Stage 2, s.2(2) (or as current).

“It is time to shrink our lives to stop COVID-19 from growing completely out of control. These directives are strict, but they are what is needed to keep people in Peel working and learning, and able to access food, medical care and the basics of everyday life,” said Loh in a statement.

“Together, the actions and sacrifices of Peel residents and businesses will stop the spread of COVID-19, help avoid a lockdown and ultimately save lives. We must take aggressive action now to get the pandemic under control in Peel.”

To help with the rising number of cases in the region, Ontario is providing further supports for Peel by reintroducing temporary testing walk-ins and three more assessment centres, as well as more contact tracers.

On Monday, Ford said that Toronto, which is currently in a modified Stage 2, will move into the Red – Control level.

During the city’s press briefing on Monday, Mayor John Tory and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa did not confirm this plan and said more news will be announced on Tuesday for the city’s new restrictions, which will likely be stricter.

In the red zone, social gathering limits remain the same, with 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.

Also, restaurants and bars can reopen for indoor dining at this level but can only have a maximum of 10 people indoors. However, interior dining spaces in malls will be closed.

When it comes to gyms, there can be 10 people indoors for classes and 10 people indoors for areas that have weight and exercise equipment.

All sports and recreational programs in other facilities (arenas and multiplexes) will be limited to 10 people per room indoors and 25 people outdoors.

Team sports must not be practiced or played except for training (no games or scrimmage), and there is no contact permitted for team or individual sports.

Clarrie FeinsteinClarrie Feinstein

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